The South African Government News Agency reported that on Wednesday, 5 July 2023, the Health Department confirmed that cholera had claimed four lives in the Free State, pushing the death toll to 47. Speaking to OFM News, Free State Health spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, said the reports are not accurate and stated that the cases recorded in the province remain 11 while only two people have died since the outbreak of the waterborne disease.  

Mvambi had previously urged the public not to listen to "opinions that are not scientifically supported by facts", but to believe information about the cause of death as confirmed by laboratory tests. "The Department of Health urges people to wash their hands and boil water before consuming it. If anyone experiences slight symptoms of diarrhea, they must please go to our health facilities to get help as a matter of urgency."

Gauteng is leading with 176 infections mostly from Hammanskraal in Tshwane, while 11 were recorded in the Free State, six in the North West, four in Limpopo, and one in Mpumalanga.

ALSO READ: Vaal River allegedly contaminated by water-borne cholera disease

Following the outbreak of Cholera, AfriForum Environmental Affairs manager, Lambert de Klerk, said water samples that AfriForum took from the Vaal River at Parys tested positive for cholera. The Department of Water and Sanitation urged the public to avoid consuming untreated water sourced from rivers, dams, and streams as they contain raw, untreated water unsuitable for human consumption.

ALSO READ: Residents urged to avoid drinking untreated water

On Tuesday, 4 July 2023, a video of what seems like contaminated water from a tap of a resident at Thabong in Welkom is doing its rounds on social media and the municipality said that they will investigate the issue.

ALSO READ: Another video of contaminated water surfaced in Free State

OFM News